‘Tis the season when thankfulness is all around. Everywhere you look, you read about gratitude practices and the benefits of being grateful. It’s a natural time to pause, reflect, and be mindful of what makes your life worth living. But what do you do if you’re not feeling very thankful?
Maybe you’ve had a relationship end, a death in your family, or a loved one diagnosed with an illness, and you’re reeling from all the emotions. Or perhaps there’s not a specific reason you can put your finger on, but you just aren’t feeling warm and fuzzy.
Regardless of where you are this Thanksgiving season, give yourself a break and recognize that there’s no right or wrong way to do the holiday. And remember that even in the darkest times, there are still things in your life to be grateful for, and those can be celebrated. Keep these five tips in mind to open up your heart to thankfulness.
Receive Gratefully
One of the simplest ways to begin reclaiming your gratitude is by remembering to receive gratefully. Rather than prioritizing giving thanks, focus on receiving. Notice when other people are offering you an expression of sympathy or kindness, and really take a moment to sit with it and bask in the feeling.
Study where that gratitude feeling occurs in your body. Some people feel it in their chest as an expansion or in their throat as a tightening. Others may feel the sensation behind their eyes as a softening.
Noticing where in your body you feel your gratitude can heighten your awareness of that circle of giving and receiving. Receiving gratefully is a great place to begin when you feel depleted of thanks—like you’ve got nothing left to give.
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